Britons who bank solely in-person at their local bank branch could be losing out on the recent wave of savings interest rate hikes. A growing number of easy access products do not provide branch access and Britons are “missing out” on higher interest rates as a result, according to new research.
Analysis of easy access products from Moneyfactscompare found that 40 per cent of these accounts do not offer cash services. This represents a sharp rise from 33 per cent in the past five years and is an increase from 29 per cent from a decade ago.
Savings interest rates have been on the rise but not every account can be managed in-person
GETTY
In comparison, easy access accounts that provide online access are becoming more prevalent in the market.
Some 69 per cent of these accounts offer online banking which is up from 60 per cent five years ago and 54 per cent a decade ago, Moneyfacts claims.
A recent survey conducted by Yorkshire Building Society found that more than a fifth of UK bank customers prefer in-branch services for their day-to-day banking needs, while over a quarter visit their local branch once a month.
The savings interest rate on easy access with only online access is greater on average than those which offer in-person banking services.
Moneyfacts cited that the top rate from a high street bank which provides branch access is Halifax with an easy access savings rate of 4.12 per cent.
However, the top market rate for an easy access account which is managed online comes from Ulster Bank with an interest rate of 5.20 per cent.
GB News has previously covered the recent changes to savings interest rates from banks and building societies.
Recent research from Which? suggests that three million people risk losing access to cash services all together due bank branch closures.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The Bank of England base rate is currently at a 15-year high GB NEWSRachel Springall, a finance expert at http://Moneyfactscompare.co.uk , said customers looking for an easy access account will find better deals online amid decline in accounts that provide branch access.
She explained: “This has been a growing trend over the years, and in fact the percentage of easy access accounts that do not offer branch access has now grown to 40 per cent, up from 29 per cent a decade ago.
“Those savers who prefer to manage their account in branch and save their money with one of the biggest high street banks will be sacrificing the interest they earn on their savings.
“Indeed, savers could be earning as little as one per cent, or on average three per cent, but in fact they could earn around five per cent on the top easy access accounts.
“Older savers might prefer to manage their finances in branch for accessibility reasons, but it is clear to see how they could be missing out on a better return if they are not able to manage an account online.”
